Episode Summary: "5 Things I Quit to Hit My First Million"
The Amy Porterfield Show
Host: Amy Porterfield
Date: September 30, 2025
Overview
In this candid and actionable episode, Amy Porterfield shares the five pivotal things she intentionally quit on her journey to surpassing seven figures in her online business. She emphasizes that true growth often means letting go—of good opportunities, old mindsets, and even revenue-generating activities—that keep entrepreneurs from scaling sustainably. Amy draws deeply from her own experiences, recounting specific stories, business turning points, and the mindset shifts necessary for growth. Each "quit" is accompanied by practical advice and self-coaching questions for listeners who want to achieve similar milestones.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
[00:01] The Power of Quitting with Intention
- Amy recounts leaving her 9-to-5 to contract for Social Media Examiner and other companies, gradually realizing that working for others (no matter how prestigious) was holding her back from building her own business.
- Notable Quote:
“Sometimes you need to quit really cool things, important things, money-making things, in order to get where you really want to be in your business.” (06:49)
- She underscores the concept that saying “no” to opportunities—even lucrative or impressive ones—creates space for bigger dreams.
[10:00] The Messy Path to Nearly a Million
- Describes her early years (2010–2013) of struggle and experimentation with digital courses, including the chaos, lack of systems, and absence of a structured team.
- First nearly-million-dollar year was actually $950,000 in 2013—accomplished through hard work but with little ease.
- Quote:
"It's not like you're going to hit a million dollars in your business and everything clicks... They're not always better problems, sometimes they're harder." (13:25)
- “Milli Club” is introduced—a program for women close to their first million.
[15:00] The Five Things Amy Quit to Level Up
Each "quit" is explored with context, strategies, stories, and actionable reflection questions.
1. [15:54] Quitting Doing Everything Yourself
- What She Did:
- Realized she was the bottleneck by doing all tasks--from content creation to editing videos—and needed to step into a CEO role.
- Transitioned to treating her contractors as a true team, eventually hiring her first full-time employee (Chloe) in 2015, after crossing seven figures.
- Started documenting SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) and delegating.
- Modern Advice: Use AI tools (like ChatGPT) to draft SOPs quickly.
- Memorable Quote:
"There's no badge of honor by doing it all myself. It's not strategic and it's like a low-vibe decision." (19:08)
- Coaching Questions:
- “What are you still holding onto in your business—not because it’s the best use of your time, but because it feels familiar or safe?”
- “What task are you still doing yourself even though you know it’s costing you growth?”
2. [23:58] Quitting Avoidance of the Numbers
- Challenge: Amy always avoided numbers, considering herself “not a numbers person." This led her to ignore key metrics out of discomfort.
- Transformation:
- Started small by tracking basic stats (email open rates, opt-ins), gradually layering in more complex data.
- Engaged a bookkeeper and learned to ask “beginner” questions.
- Today, her company’s value is “data into impact”—every decision references the numbers.
- Quote:
“Your willingness to be a little vulnerable and messy in the beginning so you can fully understand what’s tracking in your business… it goes a long way.” (28:47)
- Tip:
- Now recommends everyone start a simple weekly CEO spreadsheet—track one number that could move the needle.
- Coaching Questions:
- “What’s one metric you’ve been avoiding?”
- “If a CEO took over your business today, what numbers would they look at first—and do you know them?”
3. [34:00] Quitting Isolated Business Planning
- Pattern: Early on, Amy joined masterminds but “kept her business ideas close to the chest” due to insecurity and imposter syndrome.
- Shift:
- Learned the importance of leveraging masterminds fully by being vulnerable, sharing plans, giving and seeking feedback.
- Built lifelong friendships (e.g., Jasmine Star, Laura Belgray) and strategic partnerships through masterminds.
- Quote:
"You can’t scale inside of a silo at a certain level. You need new perspective, peer conversations, and strategic mentorship." (36:20)
- Coaching Questions:
- “What would it look like to stop white-knuckling your way forward and finally join the room where next-level conversations are happening?”
- “Whose advice are you trusting right now, and do they have the results you want?”
4. [41:47] Quitting Launching Without Evergreen in Mind
- Experience:
- Ran repeated live launches until every element was fine-tuned.
- Eventually realized the value in adding evergreen funnels to her business alongside live launches.
- Lesson:
- Live launching is crucial for learning and engagement, but moving honed offers into evergreen creates consistent revenue and sustainability.
- Both live and evergreen belong in a scalable business model.
- Quote:
“Once you quit launching without evergreen in mind, you’re setting yourself up for scalable, repeatable success.” (44:36)
- Coaching Questions:
- “What offer in your business has earned the right to go Evergreen?”
- “If you had to turn one offer into Evergreen next month, what would need to happen first?”
5. [47:56] Quitting Building Without a Repeatable System
- Backstory:
- Every launch used to feel like starting from scratch. Amy created new webinars, emails, and content for every promotion.
- Realized the importance of documenting and templating work (SOPs, launch debriefs) for each launch.
- Stopped reinventing every time; reused what worked, tweaked based on data.
- Result:
- Now known for repeatable success with programs like Digital Course Academy; her team has systems, momentum, and clarity every launch cycle.
- Quote:
“When you become known for something, you make more money. That helped me get to my first million dollars and beyond.” (51:51)
- Coaching Questions:
- “If you had to launch something two weeks from now, would you have a system—or would you be rebuilding from scratch?”
- “What can you focus on and relaunch again and again, getting better each year?”
[55:37] Final Reflections: Choose What to Quit
- Amy urges listeners to choose one thing they know they should let go of, and honestly ask if it’s truly helping them grow or just keeping them safe.
- Strong recommendation to start a “CEO spreadsheet” today, tracking at least one important metric weekly to build the data habit.
- Invites those near the million-dollar mark to check out The Milli Club for high-touch support and community.
Memorable Quotes & Moments
- “Sometimes you need to quit really cool things...in order to get where you really want to be in your business.” [06:49]
- “There's no badge of honor by doing it all myself. It's not strategic and it's like a low vibe decision.” [19:08]
- “Your willingness to be a little vulnerable and messy in the beginning so you can fully understand what’s tracking in your business… it goes a long way.” [28:47]
- “You can’t scale inside of a silo at a certain level.” [36:20]
- “When you become known for something, you make more money. That helped me get to my first million dollars and beyond.” [51:51]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [00:01] – Amy’s story: leaving the 9-to-5, working for others, and the power of quitting
- [10:00] – The messy early years, first nearly-million-dollar year
- [15:54] – Quit #1: Doing everything yourself
- [23:58] – Quit #2: Avoiding the numbers
- [34:00] – Quit #3: Isolated planning (the real value of masterminds)
- [41:47] – Quit #4: Launching without evergreen
- [47:56] – Quit #5: Launching without systems
- [55:37] – Action steps and empowering wrap-up
Tone and Language
Amy’s tone is warm, motivational, and direct—inviting listeners to get honest, take risks, and embrace a CEO mindset. Practical, no-nonsense advice is combined with permission to feel vulnerable and the encouragement that making bold decisions (including quitting) is a hallmark of entrepreneurial success.
Actionable Takeaways
- Stop clinging to every task just because you can—use your time as a CEO, not as a jack-of-all-trades.
- Track your numbers, even if it’s humbling at first. The data tells you where to focus and what to cut.
- Find your people and leverage masterminds. Growth happens in community, not isolation.
- Plan for evergreen systems after you master live launches.
- Systematize and template your business processes. Become known for something repeatable.
For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In
This episode arms you with a clear, experience-backed roadmap of what to let go to break through business plateaus. Amy shares vulnerable stories, smart questions, and tactical advice—challenging you to drop busywork, face your data, and seek support so you can systemize your way to (and beyond) your first million.